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Why we should start making better health choices this year
The glorification of sugar-sweetened beverages is widely supported in society and smart marketing means that these products are disproportionately consumed by low-income families as an affordable treat.
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Bittersweet truth: Medical students from the University of Surabaya take part in a public awareness campaign on Nov. 13, 2022 in the Tunjungan area of East Java’s provincial capital, to highlight the importance of controlling sugar intake. (Kompas/Bahana Patria Gupta)
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s Indonesia transitions out of the pandemic with planned healthcare reforms that focus on prevention rather than treatment, many of us would have ideally adopted new lifestyle habits that are more aligned with our goal to stay well and healthy.
Still, in the community around me, the prevalence of diabetes dominates dinner topics as the illness touches the lives of friends and family.
Indonesian Pediatric Society data show that in 2023, two out of every 100,000 children below 18 years old have diabetes. That is a staggering 70-fold increase from the number in 2010.
Indonesia is also one of the most diabetic countries in the world, along with other populous nations like China and India. Perhaps what deserves greater attention is the toll it takes on human lives, with the chronic condition being one of the leading causes of death in Indonesia.
From an economic perspective, a World Economic Forum report concluded that non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including diabetes, are extremely costly for Indonesia. The upside is that there are promising estimates of returns on investment for interventions to reduce NCDs, the study showed.
Diabetes is more than just statistics. Living with the disease requires lifestyle changes and strict discipline that will shape daily routines, lest it may lead to other health complications or even death.
Sometimes natural remedies alone are not enough. As a result, we find the younger generation today grappling with an increased reliance on diabetes medications.
